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PlayStation license data is required for discs to boot on official PlayStation hardware. This guide explains how to obtain, inject, and extract license data.

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What is License Data?

License data is:
  • Sony’s copyright and licensing information
  • Stored in sectors 0-11 of the disc (first 12 sectors)
  • Required for the PlayStation BIOS to boot the disc
  • Region-specific (different for Japan, USA, Europe)
  • In raw 2336-byte sector format

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Why License Data Matters

Without proper license data:
  • The disc will not boot on real PlayStation hardware
  • The BIOS will show “Please insert PlayStation CD-ROM”
  • Emulators may work without it (they often skip license checks)
  • The disc is not a legitimate PlayStation disc
mkpsxiso does not include license data to avoid legal issues. You must supply your own licensed copy from the PsyQ SDK or other legitimate source.

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Obtaining License Data

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From PsyQ SDK

The official PlayStation Programmer’s Tool SDK includes license files: 
PS/CDGEN/LCNSFILE/
├── LICENSEA.DAT  (Americas/USA)
├── LICENSEE.DAT  (Europe)
└── LICENSEJ.DAT  (Japan)
These files are in the correct raw 2336-byte sector format.

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From Existing Discs

Extract license data from official PlayStation discs: 
dumpsxiso -x game.bin
This extracts licensea.dat, licensee.dat, or licensej.dat depending on the disc region.
Extracted license data can be reused in your own homebrew projects, as long as you own the original disc you extracted it from.

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File Format Requirements

License files must be:
  • Exactly 28,032 bytes (12 sectors × 2,336 bytes)
  • In raw sector format (Mode 2 Form 1)
  • Not corrupted or modified
  • From a legitimate PlayStation disc or SDK

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Adding License Data to ISOs

1

Locate License File

Ensure you have a license file:
ls -lh licensea.dat
# Should show: -rw-r--r-- 1 user user 28032 ...
Verify the file size is exactly 28,032 bytes.
2

Add to XML Project

Include the license element in your data track:
<track type="data">
  
  <identifiers
    system="PLAYSTATION"
    application="PLAYSTATION"
    volume="MYDISC"
  />
  
  <!-- Add license file -->
  <license file="licensea.dat"/>
  
  <directory_tree>
    <!-- Your files here -->
  </directory_tree>
  
</track>
3

Verify Path

The license file path is relative to your XML file:
<!-- Same directory as XML -->
<license file="licensea.dat"/>

<!-- Subdirectory -->
<license file="licenses/licensea.dat"/>

<!-- Absolute path -->
<license file="/path/to/licensea.dat"/>
4

Build and Verify

Build your ISO:
mkpsxiso myproject.xml
Check for license-related messages:
License: licensea.dat
License data injected successfully
If you see errors about invalid sectors, verify your license file is correct.

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Region-Specific License Files

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Americas (NTSC-U)

<license file="licensea.dat"/>
Use for:
  • North America
  • South America
  • NTSC-U/C regions

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Europe (PAL)

<license file="licensee.dat"/>
Use for:
  • Europe
  • Australia
  • PAL regions

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Japan (NTSC-J)

<license file="licensej.dat"/>
Use for:
  • Japan
  • NTSC-J region
The region of your license data should match your game’s target region. Using the wrong region may prevent the disc from booting on region-locked consoles.

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License Data Structure

License sectors contain:

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Sector Layout

Sector 0-11: License data (12 sectors)
Sector 12: Primary Volume Descriptor
Sector 13+: Path tables and file data

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Sector Format

Each license sector:
  • 2336 bytes per sector
  • Mode 2 Form 1 format
  • Contains copyright text and boot code
  • Has error detection (EDC) and correction (ECC)

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What’s Inside

License data includes:
  • Sony Computer Entertainment copyright
  • Licensed by Sony text
  • Region-specific information
  • Boot validation code

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Building Without License Data

You can build ISOs without license data: 
<track type="data">
  <identifiers
    system="PLAYSTATION"
    application="PLAYSTATION"
    volume="MYDISC"
  />
  
  <!-- No <license> element -->
  
  <directory_tree>
    <!-- Your files -->
  </directory_tree>
</track>
The resulting ISO:
  • Will work in most emulators
  • Will NOT boot on real hardware
  • Has invalid/empty sectors 0-11
Without a license file, mkpsxiso generates invalid sectors for positions 0-11. These sectors will not pass PlayStation BIOS validation.

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Extracting License Data

Use dumpsxiso to extract license data from existing ISOs:

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Standard Extraction

dumpsxiso -x game.bin
Extracts to: 
game/
├── licensea.dat  (or licensee.dat / licensej.dat)
├── game.xml
└── ... other files ...

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XML Without Extraction

dumpsxiso game.bin
Generates game.xml with license reference: 
<license file="licensea.dat"/>

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Skip License Extraction

dumpsxiso -x game.bin --noxml
Extracts files but not the license or XML.

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Validating License Files

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Check File Size

ls -l licensea.dat
# Should be exactly 28032 bytes

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Check Content

License files should contain visible Sony copyright text: 
strings licensea.dat | head -5
Expected output includes: 
Licensed by
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

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Test in Build

Build a test ISO and verify: 
mkpsxiso test.xml
# Check console output for license messages
No errors about invalid sectors means the license file is correct.

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Common Issues

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Wrong File Size

If your license file isn’t 28,032 bytes:
  • File is corrupted or truncated
  • Wrong file format (not raw sectors)
  • Downloaded incorrectly
Solution: Re-obtain from PsyQ SDK or extract from a known-good disc.

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Invalid Sector Warnings

If mkpsxiso reports invalid sectors:
  • License file is corrupted
  • File is not in raw 2336-byte format
  • License data has been modified
Solution: Use an unmodified license file from the SDK or official disc.

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Disc Won’t Boot

If the built disc doesn’t boot:
  • Verify license file is included
  • Check region matches your console
  • Ensure system and application identifiers are “PLAYSTATION”
  • Test on different hardware/emulators

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File Path Errors

If mkpsxiso can’t find the license file:
  • Check path is correct relative to XML
  • Verify file exists at specified location
  • Use absolute path if needed

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Best Practices

License Data Best Practices:
  • Keep original, unmodified license files
  • Organize by region (licensea.dat, licensee.dat, licensej.dat)
  • Store in a dedicated licenses/ directory
  • Never modify license file contents
  • Document source of license files
  • Back up license files securely

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Project Organization

project/
├── licenses/
│   ├── licensea.dat  (Americas)
│   ├── licensee.dat  (Europe)
│   └── licensej.dat  (Japan)
├── src/
│   └── game files...
└── project.xml
Reference in XML: 
<license file="licenses/licensea.dat"/>

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Multi-Region Projects

Build different regions: 
<!-- usa.xml -->
<iso_project image_name="game_usa.bin" cue_sheet="game_usa.cue">
  <track type="data">
    <license file="licenses/licensea.dat"/>
    <!-- ... -->
  </track>
</iso_project>

<!-- europe.xml -->
<iso_project image_name="game_pal.bin" cue_sheet="game_pal.cue">
  <track type="data">
    <license file="licenses/licensee.dat"/>
    <!-- ... -->
  </track>
</iso_project>
License data is copyrighted by Sony Computer Entertainment:
  • Only use with licensed PlayStation development
  • Don’t distribute license files publicly
  • Only extract from discs you own
  • Use for homebrew and development purposes
  • Respect Sony’s intellectual property
This guide provides technical information about license data format and usage. It does not constitute legal advice. Ensure your use complies with Sony’s licensing terms and applicable laws.

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Reference

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License File Naming

RegionFilenameTerritory
Americaslicensea.datNTSC-U/C, North/South America
Europelicensee.datPAL, Europe, Australia
Japanlicensej.datNTSC-J, Japan

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Sector Information

  • Sectors: 0-11 (12 total)
  • Size: 2,336 bytes per sector
  • Total: 28,032 bytes
  • Format: Mode 2 Form 1
  • Position: Start of disc (LBA 0)

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Next Steps

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